Coupon stacking for scenarios including social networking

Abstract

A transaction server may enable users to purchase goods and services from vendors, and may receive and fulfill coupons applied to the transactions. In some scenarios, the transaction server may only accept one coupon per transaction, or may accept multiple coupons for a transaction that are separately and independently applied to the transaction. However, in other scenarios, a coupon may alter the effect of another coupon on the transaction (e.g., doubling a discount presented by another coupon). Accordingly, the transaction server may be configured to apply a base coupon to the transaction, and alter the effect of the base coupon on the transaction according to an auxiliary coupon. In many such scenarios, the transaction may involve individuals in a social network (e.g., a user presenting the base coupon, and an individual in the user's social network presenting the auxiliary coupon in order to participate in the same transaction).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of processing a transaction of a user on a computer having a processor, the method comprising:
 executing on the processor instructions configured to:
 receive from the user a base coupon presenting a base coupon value altering the transaction; 
 receive from the user an auxiliary coupon presenting an auxiliary coupon value altering the base coupon value altering the transaction; and 
 alter the transaction based on the base coupon value of the base coupon as altered by the auxiliary coupon value of the auxiliary coupon. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 :
 at least one coupon involving a coupon constraint; and   altering the transaction comprising: altering the transaction after verifying the coupon constraints of the coupons.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , the coupon constraint selected from a coupon constraint set comprising:
 a coupon time deadline;   a transaction participation minimum; and   a maximum coupon redemption count.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , the instructions further configured to, upon receiving the base coupon from the user, present the auxiliary coupon to the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 :
 the transaction involving at least two vendors;   the base coupon presented to the user by a first vendor; and   the auxiliary coupon presented to the user by a second vendor.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , the base coupon presenting the base coupon value altering the transaction contingent upon receiving the auxiliary coupon. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the instructions further configured to, upon receiving from the user a second auxiliary coupon presenting a second auxiliary coupon value altering the base coupon value and the auxiliary coupon value, alter the transaction based on the base coupon value of the base coupon as altered by the auxiliary coupon value of the auxiliary coupon and the second auxiliary coupon value of the sec on auxiliary coupon. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , the instructions further configured to, upon altering the transaction based on the base coupon and the auxiliary coupon, present to the user an additional coupon applicable to a future transaction. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 :
 the transaction involving a first vendor; and   the additional coupon applicable to a future transaction with a second vendor.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 :
 the user belonging to a social group; and   the additional coupon applicable to a future transaction by users of the social group.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 :
 the base coupon and the auxiliary coupon offered to users in a social group;   the transaction involving at least two users of the social group;   the base coupon presented for the transaction by a first user of the social group; and   the auxiliary coupon presented for the transaction by a second user of the social group.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , the instructions configured to receive the base coupon and the auxiliary coupon together for the transaction. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , the instructions further configured to, upon receiving the base coupon from the first user, present the auxiliary coupon to the second user of the social group. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , the instructions configured to, upon receiving the base coupon from the first user, present the auxiliary coupon to the first user for presentation to another user of the social group. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , the transaction altered based on the base coupon value as altered by the auxiliary coupon value comprising:
 a first cost assessed to the first user that is lower than a base cost of the transaction; and   a second cost assessed to the second user that is higher than the first cost and lower than the base cost of the transaction.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 :
 the base coupon presented by the first user at the first time;   the auxiliary coupon presented by the second user at a second time after the first time; and   the second cost assessed to the second user higher than the first cost assessed to the first user.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 :
 the base coupon presented by the first user at a first time;   the auxiliary coupon presented by the second user at a second time that is after the first time; and   the instructions configured to, at the first time, assess for the first user a transaction charge for the transaction based on the base coupon value; and   altering the transaction comprising: at the second time, crediting the first user for the transaction charge altered by the base coupon value of the base coupon as altered by the auxiliary coupon value of the auxiliary coupon value.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , the instructions configured to, upon altering the transaction based on the base coupon value of the base coupon as altered by the auxiliary coupon value of the auxiliary coupon, notify at least one user of the social group of the altering of the transaction. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-readable storage device configured to store instructions that, when executed on a processor of a device, cause the device to process a transaction of a user by:
 receiving from the user a base coupon presenting a base coupon value altering the transaction;   receiving from the user an auxiliary coupon presenting an auxiliary coupon value altering the base coupon value altering the transaction; and   altering the transaction based on the base coupon value of the base coupon as altered by the auxiliary coupon value of the auxiliary coupon.   
     
     
         20 . A method of processing, on a computer having a processor, transactions among vendors and users belonging to a social group comprising at least one individual, the method comprising:
 executing on the processor instructions configured to:
 offering a base coupon and an auxiliary coupon to users of the social group; 
 receive from a user a base coupon presenting a base coupon value altering the transaction and comprising at least zero coupon constraints; 
 receive from the user an auxiliary coupon presenting an auxiliary coupon value altering the base coupon value altering the transaction and comprising at least zero coupon constraints; 
 verify the coupon constraints of the coupons; 
 after verifying the coupon constraints of the coupons, alter the transaction based on the base coupon value of the base coupon as altered by the auxiliary coupon value of the auxiliary coupon; 
 upon receiving from the user a second auxiliary coupon presenting a second auxiliary coupon value altering the base coupon value and the auxiliary coupon value and comprising at least zero coupon constraints:
 verify the coupon constraints of the second auxiliary coupon, and 
 after verifying the coupon constraints of the second auxiliary coupon, alter the transaction based on the base coupon value of the base coupon as altered by the auxiliary coupon value of the auxiliary coupon and the second auxiliary coupon value of the sec on auxiliary coupon; and 
 
 upon altering the transaction based on the base coupon value of the base coupon as altered by the auxiliary coupon value of the auxiliary coupon, notify at least one individual of the social group of the altering of the transaction.